Anyone ever broken their scaphoid?

I was knocked off my bike a couple of months ago and subsequently fractured my scaphoid. After 6 weeks in a cast, not only was the bone not healing but the fracture got worse so the consultants decided it was time for a screw.

I got the surgery last Thursday and get my cast off and stitches out on the 20th. Wondering if anyone else has had this surgery and how long it'll be realistically before I'm back on my bike?

Broken scaphoids a few times - it's a tiny bone with little bloodflow, so any healing is significantly slower. Would advise you to go back and break your humerus instead.

Ahh that's where I went wrong. I'll remember that for next time!

I had a pretty nuts accident last May (as in 2014) and ended up with 18 fractures including my left wrist. They put a plate and screws in my radius including one screw right in the end where it interfaces with the scaphoid.

To be honest the other injuries kept me off the bike longer but now it's the wrist that bothers me most - to the point I'm seriously considering having the metalwork taken out.

I am still riding on it, which may be inadvisable, but it's that or get on the Northern Line in the morning. I binned my place at the Velothon Wales earlier this year cos of it though.

However it's probably pretty pointless comparing since it is a different injury and YMMV and all that, so good luck and hope it's healed and you can get back on it!

Had a screw put in mine, full operation and 3 inch scar - From time of accident through operation and physio to recovery took about 10 months. This was about 4 years ago and I still get grief from it when in the drops for long time. I've been back to X-ray 3 times from falls that may have re-fractured it, luckily just sprains. Don't fall on it in the next year. Never ever punch anything, you can get multiple fractures now there is a weakspot.

I never needed to take time off the bike, as could ride with cast or splint (granted, riding when they both arms were in casts was a little sketchy), but yeah, they twinge like grandad when swimming in cold water and will forever be weak spots.

Never punch anything is a good piece of general guidance for your life either way.

Do as much physio as you can, every day as soon as cast is off. This will get it as close as possible to pre-break condition

Yep. Twice on the right hand.

Terribly inconvenient for 'me time'

I've had scaphoid fractures three times and a humerus fracture once. Humerus fractures are awful, scaphoid ones are easy to live with. I just rode with my cast on.

It's only little, can you not just dig it out with a knife?

New skills and new experiences are good

Cast comes off next week so hopefully I can get back on the bike soon. Have been hearing loads about long recovery times and recurring pain afterwards.

Thanks for the info - I'll get on the physio and hopefully be back in good condition soon.

Broke my scaphoid 15 years ago and had it pinned, didn't stop me for long, but do still get recurring aches and pains still now...

Similarly, I broke my left Scaphoid playing football 7/8 years ago and still have some fun aches and pains in the cold. Also have significantly less mobility in my left thumb than my right but I think that wasn't helped by a lax attitude to physiotherapy.

Seems I got lucky with mine after reading these! Fractured mine skateboarding, the classic "skatephoid." Backside tail slide went wrong, wrist went back, ow. 4 cans of lager and some paracetamol seemed to cure it for a bit, then did the exact same thing a few hours later. Time for hospital, and if anyone's visited the JR in Oxford they'll know it's not uncommon to be X-rayed and told "You're fine, go home"
Show the x-Ray to my Mum, an ex-nurse, who took one look and pointed out a very obvious hairline crack and sent me straight back. They gave me a wrist brace and said to not skate for a bit. I've lost about 50% of the movement in it but it doesn't give me any problems.